Best Gun Crime Lawyers in New York
Mark I. Cohen
Criminal Lawyer/Gun Crime Lawyer
Mark I. Cohen began his legal career in 1985 as an Assistant District Attorney in the Office of the Honorable Mario Merola, Bronx County District Attorney, where he served as a trial attorney in the White Collar Crime, Rackets and Investigation Division.
Thereafter, Mr. Cohen was an associate attorney with Mound Cotton & Wollan, a prestigious litigation firm in Manhattan where he handled a variety of complex fraud matters and defended international corporations and criminal defendants.
In late 1990, Mr. Cohen left Mound Cotton & Wollan to start the Law Office of Mark I. Cohen, his own Criminal Defense practice in Manhattan. By 1995, Mr. Cohen became a member of Cohen, Frankel & Ruggiero, LLP, a boutique Criminal Defense and Real Estate firm, and since then has been in partnership with Peter M. Frankel, Esq. and Louis J. Ruggiero, Esq.
Since 1990 Mr. Cohen has maintained offices at 20 Vesey Street outside the World Trade Center in Manhattan’s financial district. He handles criminal and corporate investigations and criminal litigation in the United States District Courts and New York State Courts. He also represents clients in administrative litigation proceedings against a variety of United States, New York State and New York City agencies. Mr. Cohen is fluent in Spanish.
Professional Development:
1982
- Bachelor of Arts in Political Science
- State University of New York at Binghamton
1985
- Juris Doctor
- Hofstra University
1986
- Admitted to practice in New York State
1987
- Admitted to practice in United States District Courts
- Southern and Eastern Districts of New York
Memberships:
- American Bar Association, 1986 – Present
- National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys, 1991 – Present
- New York State Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys, 1991 – Present
- New York State Bar Association, 1991 – Present
- New York City Criminal Bar Association, 1991 – Present
- New York County Lawyers’ Association, 1991 – Present
- EDNY/SDNY Federal Bar Council, 2019-Present
Jason A. Steinberger
Criminal Lawyer/Gun Crime Lawyer
The Law of Offices of Jason A. Steinberger, LLC understands the importance of giving to the community by zealously representing those who need a voice in the Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, Nassau and Suffolk, Federal & State criminal justice system. During the course of Jason Steinberger’s career, he has defended adults, juveniles, organizations and businesses charged with criminal felonies and misdemeanors in New York State courts; Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, Nassau, Suffolk, and Federal court.
Jason Steinberger began his studies as a New York and Federal criminal lawyer while attending Hofstra University School of Law. Upon his graduation, Jason Steinberger was rewarded for excellence in criminal law and courtroom trial advocacy with the George and Sadie Kruik award and scholarship for Outstanding Performance in Trial Advocacy.
After gaining admission to the State Bar of New York, Jason Steinberger served the New York City community in Bronx County as an Assistant District Attorney, prosecuting violent criminal felonies and misdemeanors in the Trial Bureau. Jason’s Steinberger’s reputation for excellence in criminal law and trial advocacy earned him the title of Liaison to the Bronx County Family Court where, in addition to prosecuting violent criminal adult offenders, he represented New York State in prosecuting violent criminal juvenile offenders. As a result of his years of service in New York State, Jason Steinberger was honored in December 2005 by the Office of the Bronx District Attorney in appreciation for his work in criminal law.
While working for the Office of the Bronx District Attorney, Jason Steinberger gave back to the New York City community by teaching junior high and high school students the art of trial advocacy in both the District Attorney’s Office sponsored criminal trial competition and the Thurgood Marshall Criminal Trial Competition. In 2004, Jason Steinberger was named an Adjunct Law Professor at Hofstra University School of Law where he teaches a trial advocacy and applied evidence course.
Jeremy Saland
Criminal Lawyer/Gun Crime Lawyer
Jeremy Saland has a tremendous advantage over most criminal defense attorneys and firms. Not only did Jeremy serve for more than seven years as an Assistant District Attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office’s Trial Division under Robert Morgenthau and for six years as Municipal Prosecutor in Westchester County, but he has successfully advocated for clients in a wide variety of investigations, arrests, indictments and trials. Jeremy’s experience has given him first-hand knowledge of how prosecutors develop evidence and investigate cases while also enabling him to successfully defend clients in New York City, federal, county and local courts throughout the region.
From obtaining acquittals, dismissals, or reductions for clients arrested for Grand Larceny, Assault, Domestic Violence, DWI, Forged Instrument, Aggravated Harassment, Criminal Possession of a Weapon, and other crimes to convincing prosecutors to move for dispositions that resulted in dismissals and reductions of White Collar offenses and frauds in the few hundred to tens of millions of dollars, Jeremy relentlessly champions his clients’ rights. In fact, two of his greatest achievements as an attorney on either side of the law was securing acquittals for two innocent men after multi-week trials charging one with the knife point kidnapping of a former spouse and the other with the sexual abuse of his step-daughter. Although the District Attorney sought to incarcerate the accused for ten years in prison in the former case, prosecutors dropped one of the felony charges after Jeremy rested at trial and before the judge submitted the case to the same jury that ultimately exonerated him.
Jeremy’s success as an Assistant District Attorney for the People and as a defense attorney for his clients has long been recognized by his peers in their respective sides of criminal law. In that regard, Jeremy serves on the board of the Manhattan District Attorney Association, the not-for-profit alumni organization of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. Moreover, Super Lawyers has honored Jeremy each year since 2000 and the National Trial Lawyers, “a professional organization composed of the premier trial lawyers from across the country who exemplify superior qualifications as civil plaintiff or criminal defense trial lawyers,” invited Jeremy to join their Top 100 trial lawyers since 2016. Since establishing the law practice, Jeremy’s insight and opinions have been sought by various news stations, publications and other media outlets including the Wall Street Journal, CNN, New York Law Journal, AP, Reuters, Sports Illustrated Online, and Eyewitness News, and others. Because of his acumen and comprehension of the New York Penal and Procedure Law, Jeremy’s commentary and analysis has been featured addressing issues including the investigation into former President Donald Trump by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, the Strauss-Kahn “rape” indictment, the cold case prosecution of Etan Patz, the salacious “Million Dollar Mommy Madam” case, and a host of other matters that played out in the courtroom and the local and national news. Outside of the practice of criminal law, Jeremy served as the treasurer for the New York City Bar Association’s Small Law Firm Committee and was elected Councilman in November 2015 for a Westchester County Township where he also served as the Acting-Supervisor of that municipality.
During his time as a prosecutor in the Trial Division as well as the Identity Theft, DWI and Domestic Violence Units, Mr. Saland’s responsibilities included grand jury proceedings, evidentiary hearings, trials, and supervising complex investigations. Mr. Saland has successfully prosecuted as an Assistant District Attorney and defended as a criminal defense attorney thousands of cases. These cases have involved the entire spectrum of offenses, from white collar crimes related to Forgery, Falsifying Business Records, Identity Theft, Money Laundering and Grand Larceny to narcotic and violent crimes including Drug Possession, Assault, Kidnapping, Criminal Possession of a Weapon and Attempted Murder.
JEFF GRECO
Criminal Lawyer/Gun Crime Lawyer
Jeff Greco is a former prosecutor who now puts his experience to work for those accused of crimes in New York City state and federal courts. Jeff Greco understands the way prosecutors work, and he uses that knowledge to protect the rights and build the strongest possible defense strategy for his clients.
Jeff has long held an ambition to protect those whose liberty is at stake after being accused of a crime. A defendant has the incredible weight of the government against him or her, with its nearly infinite resources — especially in the case of federal prosecutions. As a former assistant district attorney and narcotics prosecutor, Jeff knows the tactics the other side uses and knows how to fight them.
Further, he has extensive training on how police investigate DWIs. He has been certified by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to actually conduct standardized field sobriety tests and spot controlled substance use in drivers as a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE). He also has been trained at Harvard Law School in DUI Defense tactics.
This training allows him to identify missteps by police, which he can then use to call the prosecution’s evidence into question. Without sufficient solid evidence, the charges against a client get reduced or dismissed entirely.
It is part of the approach of Greco Neyland, PC: To walk into a courtroom prepared to fight, and to wage that fight well. No matter how hopeless or difficult a case may seem, Jeff Greco will make every effort, conducting a thorough investigation into all allegations and all circumstances surrounding those allegations to identify every defense.
Jeff is committed to an open, transparent relationship with clients. He keeps them informed at every step. He is always honest with clients about their chances and the options they have, so they can make the best decisions.
Julie Rendelman
Criminal Lawyer/Gun Crime Lawyer
After graduating from Brooklyn Law School, Julie began her legal career as an Assistant District Attorney in Kings County, Brooklyn, where she investigated and prosecuted hundreds of criminal cases and quickly earned a reputation as a tough and tenacious trial attorney. While in the office, Julie was lead counsel in over 60 felony jury trials that involved a wide variety of crimes, from drug offenses to sex crimes to homicides. Julie quickly rose to the level of Senior Trial Attorney and was eventually promoted to the elite Homicide Bureau where she became the Deputy Bureau Chief.
She handled many high profile cases, including:
- The abduction and brutal murder of eight-year-old Leiby Kletzky
- The stabbing death of New York City bus driver Edwin Thomas by a passenger (Edwin’s murder and the subsequent conviction of his assailant led to upgrades in the safety protocols of city buses)
- The murder for hire of Dwayne Burnett at the hands of his “best friend,” Ragene Powell Dickerson
Additionally, while working as a prosecutor, Julie also taught Criminal Procedure as an Adjunct Law professor at Brooklyn Law School. Julie then opened her own practice, the Law Offices of Julie Rendelman, LLC. Julie’s vast experience as a prosecutor has given her a unique first-hand perspective of how prosecutors develop and investigate their cases, which is key to mounting a strong defense.
Julie was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1993. She is currently admitted to practice law in all boroughs of New York City as well as the Southern, Eastern, and Western District Courts of New York and the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. She is an active member of the New York City Bar Association. She is also a member of the New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, organizations dedicated to ensuring justice and due process for persons accused of crimes and other misconduct.
Julie Rendelman’s numerous awards include:
- Top 100, The National Trial Lawyers 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
- Top 1%, National Association of Distinguished Counsel
- Superb Rating (10.0/10.0), Avvo
- Lawyers of Distinction 2018, 2019
- Top 100, America’s Top 100 Attorneys 2018, 2019
- Client’s Choice Award, AVVO, 2017
- Top Contributor, Avvo, 2015
- Kings County District Attorney’s Office Alumnae Association’s Distinguished Service Award, 2012
She is also an active fundraiser for the Lustgarten Pancreatic Cancer Research fund, in honor of her mother, who was diagnosed with the disease in 2012.
Julie is a seasoned attorney who has appeared in various newspapers including the New York Times, the New York Law Journal, the New York Post, and the Daily News. She has also appeared on various radio shows and television channels, including NY1, Channel 11 WPIX and ABC. In addition, she is a legal analyst on the Law and Crime Network where she shares her extensive knowledge of the law with the public. Her dedication to her clients, her knowledge of the law and her understanding of the applications of the law is what sets her apart from other lawyers.
TODD SPODEK
Criminal Lawyer/Gun Crime Lawyer
Throughout college and afterwards Todd Spodek worked at some of the largest and most prominent law firms in Boston and New York, first as a file clerk, then as a paralegal preparing multi-defendant cases for trial.
After gaining big firm experience, Todd A. Spodek attended Pace University School of Law in White Plains, New York. Todd A. Spodek continued to build up his background in litigation. Todd A. Spodek’s unique talent for successful courtroom advocacy became apparent during his first year of law school. Mr. Spodek was recommended for Moot Court where he successfully argued criminal cases. After law school, Todd Spodek joined a small criminal defense firm and appeared in court in New York City and throughout New York State on a daily basis. Mr. Spodek gained a wealth of experience with criminal law and the complex criminal justice system in NY.
Mr. Spodek represents individuals and businesses in criminal investigations, grand jury investigations, violations, misdemeanor and felony cases. Mr Spodek has successfully resolved criminal cases before an arrest has been made, as well as post arrest through strategic plea bargaining. Mr. Spodek has secured numerous acquittals at trial for his clients. Recent trials include Felony Murder, Depraved Indifference Murder, Assault, Robbery, Menacing, Harassment and Predatory Sexual Assault.
Mr. Spodek’s practice is split between criminal defense, and family and matrimonial law. Throughout the years, Mr. Spodek has successfully represented his clients in custody, visitation, and support proceedings in Family Court as well as with pre-nuptial, post-nuptial, and highly contentious divorces in Supreme Court. Mr. Spodek has earned a reputation for being honest, straight forward and hardworking. He is known for obtaining results through strategic negotiations and at trial.
Mr. Spodek takes great pride in the exceptional personalized service Spodek Law Group provides. The firm approach is to keep clients well informed, and up to date about their cases. Every client is educated about the various aspects of the law as it relates to their case. This allows the client to make informed and educated decisions every step of the way.
Lance Fletcher
Criminal Lawyer/Gun Crime Lawyer
Areas of Practice
- Criminal Defense
- Felonies
- Misdemeanors
- Desk Appearance Tickets
- DWI / DUI
- Sealing of criminal and arrest records
Litigation Percentage
- 95% of Practice Devoted to Litigation
Over 15 Years of Experience
- New York City Criminal Defense Attorney
- The Law Offices of Lance Fletcher (2008-present)
- Assistant District Attorney
- Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, New York, New York (2004-2008)
- Legal Internships
- U.S. Department of Justice, Washington DC (2001)
- New York City Criminal Court, Supervising Judge (1998)
- Pennsylvania Supreme Court (2003)
- Philadelphia District Attorney (2002)
In 1998, Lance Fletcher successfully completed an internship with the Supervising Judge of the New York County Criminal Court. In 2000, Mr. Fletcher was awarded a B.S. in Political Science from the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York and worked as a paralegal at
the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. In 2001, Mr. Fletcher attended law school at the University of Pittsburgh. While in law school, Mr. Fletcher participated in moot court and a family law clinic. Before graduating, he interned at the Department of Justice, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, and clerked for a law firm in Hartford Connecticut.
In 2004, Mr. Fletcher graduated law school and was hired by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office as an Assistant District Attorney, a position he held from 2004 to 2008. While at the District Attorney’s Office, Mr. Fletcher prosecuted hundreds of cases involving violent and non-violent offenses, misdemeanors and felonies, and was a member of both the Identity Theft Unit and the Domestic Violence Unit. Additionally, Mr. Fletcher conducted eleven jury trials ranging from misdemeanor assault to armed robbery.
The Empire State’s Balancing Act: Understanding Gun Violence, Legal Complexities, and the Crucial Role of Lawyers in New York
New York, the “Empire State,” is a global metropolis known for its iconic skyline, diverse culture, and strict gun control laws. However, gun violence remains a complex issue in New York, requiring a nuanced understanding of the challenges, legal landscape, and the critical role lawyers play in navigating this sensitive area.
A Different Landscape: Deconstructing Gun Violence in New York
Contrasting Statistics: Compared to the national average, New York boasts a significantly lower gun death rate. This is likely due to stricter gun control measures implemented over decades. However, gun violence remains a concern, particularly in specific areas and involving suicides.
Contributing Factors: Despite stricter gun control, factors contributing to gun violence in New York include:
- Mental Health Concerns: Untreated mental health issues can be a significant factor in gun violence, particularly suicides.
- Gang Activity: Gang violence often involves firearms, contributing to a higher rate of gun homicides in certain areas.
- Domestic Violence: Domestic violence situations involving firearms can escalate quickly and lead to fatal outcomes.
- Illegal Firearms: Despite stricter regulations, some individuals still obtain firearms illegally, contributing to gun violence.
- Straw Purchases: Purchasing firearms on behalf of someone ineligible to own them is a crime, but it can still occur.
Navigating the Labyrinth: New York’s Stringent Gun Laws
- Federal vs. State Laws: Understanding the distinction between federal and state gun laws is crucial in New York. Federal law sets baseline regulations, but New York has some of the strictest gun control laws in the nation. A lawyer can ensure you comply with both.
- Background Checks: Federal law mandates background checks for all firearm purchases from licensed dealers. New York requires background checks for all gun sales, including private sales between individuals.
- Permit System: New York has a stringent permit system for purchasing and possessing handguns. Obtaining a permit requires completing a safety course, fingerprinting, and background checks.
- Safe Storage Laws: New York requires safe storage of firearms, particularly when children are present. A lawyer can advise you on specific safe storage regulations.
- Red Flag Laws: New York has a red flag law allowing temporary gun confiscation from individuals deemed a threat to themselves or others.
When Legal Representation Matters Most: The Role of Lawyers in Gun-Related Cases
Facing gun-related charges in New York can be overwhelming. Here’s why retaining a skilled lawyer is essential:
- Understanding Complexities of Gun Laws: New York’s gun laws are intricate, and even minor violations can have serious consequences. A lawyer with expertise in New York gun law can navigate this complexity and ensure your rights are protected throughout the legal process.
- Self-Defense Claims: New York has specific laws regarding self-defense and use of force. A lawyer can help you understand these laws and build a strong defense if you are involved in a self-defense shooting.
- Permit Applications and Denials: The permit application process can be challenging. A lawyer can assist you with the application and fight any denials.
- Firearm Rights Restoration: If you have lost your gun rights due to a criminal conviction, a lawyer can explore options for restoration.
- Protection from Unfounded Charges: In some cases, gun-related charges might be unjustified. A lawyer can fight for your rights and ensure you are not wrongfully accused.
Finding the Right Legal Advocate:
When facing gun-related charges, securing the services of a lawyer experienced in New York gun law is vital. Here are some factors to consider when searching for legal representation:
- Experience: Look for a lawyer with a proven track record of handling gun-related cases in New York.
- Reputation: Research potential lawyers and read client reviews to gauge their effectiveness and client satisfaction.
- Communication Style: Choose a lawyer who is readily available to answer your questions and keeps you informed throughout the legal process.
- Area of Focus: Some lawyers specialize in criminal defense, while others focus specifically on gun law. Consider finding a lawyer with experience in both criminal defense and New York gun law.